Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Beth Morgan.
Sarah Beth, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been a dabbler in the arts. From the age of three to now, I’ve loved playing with new mediums – whether that be doodling in crayon, learning code or testing a new texture brush in Photoshop. As an ex-pat kid growing up in Saudi Arabia, I didn’t have much to occupy me, so I’d draw, write and read a lot. I thought I was destined to be an author. I’d spend evenings writing “chapter books” and forcing my parents to read the entire thing in front of me (sorry mom and dad!). In middle school, I played with coding sparkly, pink HTML websites. I moved onto telling stories through photography in high school. But for some reason, I just never believed that I could pursue art as a career until I started applying for colleges. When it dawned on me that I art was a JOB, it blew my mind.
I ended up at the Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in Motion Media Design. They really set up me for a legitimate career, taught me how to market myself. And because of SCAD, I quickly landed a job at a real motion studio in LA – that’s where my true illustration career kicked off! Fast forward six years and I’m a full-time freelancer in Portland, OR. Feels like a whirlwind!
Has it been a smooth road?
Pursuing my artistic dreams has never been easy, even if it may look that way from an outside perspective. And I think because I’m a perfectionist, pursuing my passion is even harder. I’m much more tough on myself than some of the creative directors I’ve worked with. I really get inside my own head and “imposter syndrome” tends to get the better of me.
I recently went full-time freelance, opening up my own small business. It felt easy at first, but now I’m running into all of these logistical issues (taxes, ugh!). I’m still overcoming it, but I would advise anyone else struggling with this to HIRE OUT! I naively thought I had it under control until I hired a super knowledgable local accountant. Even though it’s not 100% sorted out yet, it’s wonderful knowing that I can rely on her to explain any money-related business issues to me. So, surround yourself with specialized folks – they will do wonders for your business!
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I’m an illustrator who specializes in design for animation. Sometimes I’ll branch out into editorial territory, designing for web & publications – but most of the time I partner with commercial animation studios to bring their stories to life. I’m typically hired for the first part of the project – storyboarding & designing – and then I’ll pass my work off to an animator who brings my illustrations to life. It’s super rewarding to see it all come together!
In my personal work, I try my best to continue learning forever. I’m constantly pushing myself and my abilities to new heights (unsuccessfully sometimes). I’m honestly probably a little too hard on myself and expect too much. That being said, I have a new passion project I’m pursuing that I’m really excited about. It’s going to be a 2ish minute animation featuring an all womxn team! Keep your eyes peeled for it.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
As far as animation goes, I believe there will be more and more of it visible in the world, though it will likely get more streamlined and potentially less interesting. Screens are everywhere these days, and there’s a huge need for animated advertisements, app animations, and more. It seems that animated illustration is extremely prominent now – I can hardly imagine how oversaturated it will become in ten years.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahbethmorgan.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/wonderfall
- Twitter: twitter.com/sarahbeefmorgan
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